Welcome to this week’s junior golf tournament preview for June 15-16! This is a huge weekend for golf with the US Open kicking off this weekend at Pinehurst No. 2. Will we see another dominant performance from the world number one in Scottie Scheffler or will someone else achieve glory? At the same time, there will be seven different HJGT tournaments taking place across seven unique states as these junior golfers hope for a first-place finish!
Atlanta Summer Kickoff at Chapel Hills
We begin this tournament preview down in Douglasville, Georgia which is just a short thirty-minute ride from the great city of Atlanta. Some of the best junior golfers from all over will take on Chapel Hills Golf Club which is known for its steep hills and numerous granite outcroppings. It’s an aesthetically pleasing course that’s challenging to play. The undulating double green on holes 9 and 18, as well as all of the other greens, are some of the best-kept and fastest in the area.
There is no warm-up hole at Chapel Hills Golf Club as the first hole is often regarded as one of the toughest on the entire course. The 453-yard par-four is a real test for one’s driver, and it’s imperative to keep the ball straight with a very narrow fairway. The dogleg right adds an extra layer of difficulty to an already challenging hole. If you can make it through this hole with a good score you are set up for an amazing round of golf.
It is going to be a hot one down in Douglasville this weekend so be sure to start hydrating now and bring plenty of sunscreen. Saturday will have a high of 94 degrees and will be sunny all day. Sunday will be a little cooler as it will have a high of 92 degrees and will be partly cloudy throughout.
Champions Gate Summer Junior Open
For the next tournament, we head further south to Champions Gate, Florida which is just outside of Orlando. This is where 69 elite junior golfers will look to take on the magnificent ChampionsGate Golf Resort at the International Golf Course. It is a coastal links-style course with generous fairways, littered with hundreds of pot bunkers, and water features on every hole. This PGA Tour Tournament course plays firm and fast and is the longer of the two courses.
The International Course was recently ranked no. 9 in the top overall ranked courses by GOLF Advisor. The 7,363-yard links-style International Course is home to sprawling greens and wind-swept dunes, featuring 18 of the most dramatic and challenging holes in the state. Golfers need to be on the lookout for the sixth hole, as the 496-yard par-four is a real challenge to any golfer.
For Florida weather in the summer golfers should expect a pleasant round this weekend at Champions Gate. Saturday will have a high of 90 degrees but will be cloudy all day to help keep golfers cool. Sunday will be much the same with a high of 89 degrees and will be cloudy as well.
College Summer Prep Series at UK Wildcat
Lexington, Kentucky is the destination of the next tournament where we will have 54 of the best junior golfers compete for a first-place finish. The home of the University of Kentucky Golf team, the Wildcat Course is where this event will take place. The course is known for four sets of tees that can play to a yardage between 4955 and 6680 yards. Although shorter in length than Big Blue, Wildcat features more of a parkland setting that rolls through trees and along creeks and ponds. This course also features beautiful bunkering and green complexes that require precision upon approach.
Golfers will need to be on their A-game their entire round if they want to score well on this course. However, they need to pay extra attention to the tenth hole which is a 457-yard par-4. This hole requires an accurate shot off the tee box as you will hit into a narrow fairway with two fairway bunkers. There is a very sharp dogleg right and golfers need to be aware of the lake and greenside bunker positioned to the right of the green.
There will be some nice weather in Lexington this weekend that will allow golfers to play to the best of their ability. Saturday will have a high of 85 degrees and will be mostly sunny throughout the day. Sunday will be a bit hotter with a high of 92 degrees and will be mostly sunny as well. Be sure to start drinking water right now as it will be important to stay hydrated on the course.
Minnesota Kickoff
We travel up north to Lindstrom, Minnesota, just a short 45-minute ride from Minneapolis, where some of the best junior golfers will look to compete. The tournament will take place at Chisago Lakes Golf Course which is known as it began with nine holes on what was originally farmland and then expanded to 18 holes in 1989. The course is locally owned by many members of the community. In recent years, we have greatly improved our fairways and greens and expanded our clubhouse by building a new Pro Shop.
Golfers will find lots of adventures here. Both nines have some open and wooded holes. Water is in play on about 12 holes here, but except for four of them, it can easily be avoided. One of the tougher holes the golfer will see this weekend will be hole seven which is a 412-yard par-four. It also features a very narrow fairway so an accurate strike off the tee box is a must. It is best to be aware of the lake to the right and the bunker to the left of the green when you come up to your approach shot.
The weather in Lindstrom this weekend will start out pretty rough but will get better as the weekend goes on. Saturday will have a high of 73 degrees but should have rain showers for most of the day. Sunday will have a high of 85 degrees and will have some morning rain showers.
New England Summer Junior Open
We head east of Minnesota for our next tournament to Sutton, Massachusetts which is just a short hour-long trip from Boston. They will play at Blackstone National Golf Club which is a Par 72, 18 Hole Championship Golf Course located in the heart of Central Massachusetts. Its picturesque vistas, abundant wildlife, and challenging layout have made it a favorite among golfers from all over New England.
You have one hole to get your swing dialed in on this course and you approach what is widely regarded as the toughest hole on the course. The second hole is a long Par 5 that is as challenging as it is beautiful. A long tee shot will definitely help, but beware of the gentle dog-leg to the left – hit it too far left or right and you limit the options for your approach shot. A well-placed second shot to the right of the center offers the best angle to approach this green. The ideal lay-up distance is approximately 125 yards as the fairway narrows greatly from there, to a green that slopes from front to back.
Sutton should have near-perfect weather this weekend for all golfers to shoot an amazing round. Saturday will have a high of 74 degrees and will be sunny throughout the day. Sunday will be very similar. It will have a high of 75 degrees and will be sunny as well.
New Jersey Summer Junior Open
We are staying in the northeast and heading to Galloway, New Jersey. This is just twenty minutes outside of Atlantic City so golfers can enjoy the beach after their round of golf. Some of the best junior golfers will be competing at the Pines Course at Seaview Golf Club. The Pines winds its way through New Jersey woodlands, presenting elevation changes and bountiful doglegs. The course measures 6,800 yards, and it features large bunkers and expansive, sloping greens. The 16th hole was the site of Sam Snead’s miraculous 60-foot chip-in to win the 1942 PGA Championship — his first major.
The fourth hole is largely considered to be the toughest hole on the course. The 432-yard par-4 has one of the more narrow fairways that you will find on the course along with a giant fairway bunker that makes an accurate shot of the tee box a necessity. The hole also features a sharp dogleg right that must be factored in along with a greenside bunker on the right of the hole.
There will be some beautiful weather up in Galloway this weekend! Saturday will have a high of 83 degrees and should be sunny all day. Sunday will be even nicer with a high of 76 degrees and will once again be sunny all day. This should help the junior golfers competing put up some amazing scores!
Northern Ohio Junior Open
For the last tournament of the weekend, we head over to Warren, Ohio which is just a short hour’s drive outside of Cleveland. These elite junior golfers will be competing at Avalon Lakes Golf Course which offers 5 sets of tees that range from 4904 yards to 7551 yards. Offering a variety for all skill levels, this par 72 golf course features undulating greens, beautiful terrain, and plenty of “lakes”. Avalon Lakes is one of the premier golf courses in the world designed by legendary golf course architect, Pete Dye.
The signature hole is number 8, a majestic peninsula par 3 that plays from 128 yards to 244 yards. The usual pin placement is located only steps from the water’s edge. Water guards all but the right side of this very deep green while the right is guarded by 4 large bunkers. Unfortunately, there is no easy miss on this hole, just enjoy its beauty.
It is going to be a pleasant weekend in Warren, just be sure to drink plenty of water! Saturday will have a high of 78 degrees and will be sunny for most of the day. Sunday it gets a lot hotter with a high of 86 degrees and will be sunny all day again.
Check back next week for a tournament preview for June 22-23. Follow our live leaderboards on the HJGT app or on HJGT.org to keep up with all our players competing this weekend!
